Helping Men and Women Become More Effective Leaders

Recognized as one of the 30 Most Influential Leadership Gurus Worldwide*

October 2007

“Develop and practice contagious enthusiasm. When others see you getting excited about a project, they get excited, too. And when people are enthusiastic, it steels them against the obstacles and challenges that will inevitably come.”
from 180 Ways to Walk the Leadership Talk

John’s Podcast of the Month: Energize the Workforce
Discover how to get your team rip roarin’ ready.
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Leadership: Lasting Lessons

So what can a retired collegiate football coach who has not coached a game since the 1989 season teach us about leadership? Plenty, if you are Bo Schembechler, head coach at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989.

His lessons are brought to life in vivid stories -- some poignant, some funny -- that will enlighten every leader’s repertoire. Collected in book form by John U. Bacon who collaborated with Schembechler in Bo’s Lasting Lessons. Schembechler who died last November strides across these pages in full form dispensing wisdom that rings true to leaders at every level, most often of those who never set foot on the gridiron.
Here are some of those lessons.

• Respect the institution. When Schembechler became head coach of Michigan football team, he laid down the law on his expectations – for players, coaches, and staff. He was tough but sincere. He also built upon the foundation of what had come before him. As much as he pushed for change, he couched it within the Michigan’s institutional values of integrity, excellence and education.
  
  
• Stir the pot. As rigid as Bo may have appeared, he loved good debate, especially about important issues. That debate carried into the coaches’ room; he never wanted yes men; he wanted assistants (and that included staffers) who would stand up to him and prove him wrong. Only when ideas are tested by the heat of confrontation and conflict, as Bo attests, will they be valid.
  
  
• Foster internal leadership. No coach, nor leader, can do it all himself. Successful teams jell because the players abide by the standards, often imposed by themselves. Call this internal leadership. At Michigan, expectations are for the position and the team. On the field, it means the players do their best because the best is expected; off the field, it means the players abide by an established code of conduct. That way, coaches do not act as cops; the players enforce the rules themselves. It is a kind of honor code.
  
  
• Honor the role players. Teams need stars, sure, but the stars are supported by the role players. Bo was a master at making sure the walk-on players (those without scholarship) were recognized for their efforts. He enjoyed talking up their accomplishments. Furthermore, Bo made certain the staff felt part of the team as well as part of the larger picture. He said his secretary was not simply typing letters, she was contributing to a Big Ten title; the equipment man was not simply stacking helmets he was preparing the team for a Rose Bowl win.
  
  
• Kick them when they are up. Bo was a fiery guy, no question, and contrary to what you may think that fire was roasting when the team won big. He would verbally pick on his players for not making a block, or failing to read a play, even when they had played exceptionally well. Coaches guard against their players become too confident which when unchecked can slide into complacency. By contrast, when the team had lost, Bo assumed warm fatherly role, comforting, coaxing and reassuring. It is a good lesson to remember especially when times are tough and the heat is on.
  
  
• Love your people. Viewed from sidelines at practice or at games, Bo could seem like a tyrant. He yelled, screamed and carried on. Behind closed doors, he was gentle and involved. He cared for his coaches and his players as if they were members of his own family. Whenever anyone needed a word of advice or a helping hand, Bo was there front and center. He lived his life through others and his legacy is more than victories it is in lives developed and well-led.

We learn leadership best by observation and example. Stories are often the best illustration. Reading this book may provoke laughter or may be even a tear, but you will come away knowing a bit more about the human condition and what it takes to get things done and done right and the right way.

Source:
Bo Schembechler and John U. Bacon Bo’s Lasting Lessons: The Legendary Coach Teaches the Timeless Fundamentals of Leadership New York: Warner Business Books 2007

[First published by FastCompany.com on September 12, 2007]

John Baldoni Works with AthenaOnline for Online Video Coaching Series
Emeryville, CA – AthenaOnline and John Baldoni have teamed up to offer a series of 18 coaching videos focusing on leadership and communication issues. The videos will be included as part of Athena’s SmartByte series on best management and leadership practices.

“We are extremely pleased to be working with John Baldoni” says Jon Peters, CEO of Athena. “As one of the foremost experts on leadership and communications John knows how to break down management challenges issues into plain and simple language and translate them into succinct lessons that people can remember and use.”

Baldoni’s SmartByte videos cover challenges that managers face daily such as influencing others, leading with presence, developing an elevator pitch, overcoming stage fright, and writing your own speech.

"Our two to five minute SmartByte video lessons are the perfect format for this information," says Peters. "We have always been dedicated to delivering knowledge when and where people need it most and John’s lessons fit beautifully into this model." 

“I am pleased to be joining the Athena team,” says Baldoni. “The Athena’s 24/7 accessibility to management education and the short, singularly focused messages increase the likelihood that the learning will be implemented.”

Athena has worked with over other 70 business consultants and experts like Beverly Kaye, Marshall Goldsmith, Russell Ackoff, Vijay Govindarajan, and many others to create a library of almost 1,000 SmartByte videos on management and leadership. The videos are delivered through customized learning portals for organizations like TAP Pharmaceuticals, Fireman’s Fund, Clark’s Shoes, and the Province of Ontario.

About AthenaOnline.com
AthenaOnline.com (www.athenaonline.com) is a premier publisher of multimedia training, education and career development products. Athena was founded as a sister company to the Institute for Management Studies (IMS), with a mission to leverage technology to deliver business knowledge when and where individuals need it. Athena has consistently delivered award-winning programs over the Internet, internal networks and on CD-Rom. Athena is headquartered in Reno, NV. For more information call Jon Peters at 800-500-4294.

In case you missed it…
Best Practice Institute Webinar: 7 Questions Every Leader Needs to ask
Available at https://bestpracticeinstitute.org/members/articles/john-baldoni-presentation.html

Keynote Speaker
People who attend John’s keynotes and workshops come away saying that his presentations are "insightful," "helpful," and "motivational." John’s topics include communications, motivation, personal leadership and getting results the right way. John is a frequent speaker on leadership topics to corporate, professional, military, and university audiences. Visit www.johnbaldoni.com to see John’s videos, listen to his coaching podcasts, or read his newest articles.

Executive Coach
John specializes in helping his clients discover and achieve leadership presence, which he defines as “earned authority.” Those with leadership presence demonstrate a strong capacity to project confidence, communicate with conviction, instill trust, and most importantly, lead by example. Leadership presence combines a leader’s earned authority with a follower’s reason to believe. While leaders project their leadership, followers authorize it with their approval. What matters to us most is authenticity. Leadership presence can be taught and put into practice through focused coaching. Watch John’s videos on leadership presence and communications at www.johnbaldoni.com/askjohn.

John in the News
* John Baldoni was named one of the “30 Most Influential Leadership Gurus” worldwide for 2007 by Leadership Gurus International www.LeadershipGurus.net.

John On-line
John writes the monthly Baldoni on Leadership column for CIO.com. In addition John is an Expert Blogger for FastCompany.com.

About John Baldoni
John Baldoni is a leadership consultant and speaker specializing in executive coaching, development and communications. John is the author of six books on leadership including the Great Leaders trilogy for McGraw‑Hill: How Great Leaders Get Great Results (2006), Great Motivation Secrets of Great Leaders (2005), and Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders (2003).